COLLIDE
Project/Assessment Task: Individual Task = create both physical and digital outcomes in response to the three themes explored. • Explore and evaluate the creative propositions beyond the parameters of your chosen project • Produce outcomes that respond effectively and coherently and meet your projects initial aims and objectives • Resolve technical and aesthetic problems utilising and practising a variety of working methods • Present and communicate developmental work and outcomes in a manner appropriate to your discipline and to high professional standard Collaborate = create artefacts and curate an exhibition of work to launch the Collide Event Exhibition outcomes for screen based media as well as physical installation pieces Consider, explore and mash-up the three themes; Happiness/ the Internet/ Your Future Self; Sagmeister urges us not to convey happiness but to ‘evoke happiness’. Coupland misses his pre-internet brain – should we embrace this ‘inevitability’? The future – the virtual or reality – will we fake it, or keep it real? Ten years from now what will you be doing? ‘Collide’ requires you to appropriate and converge a variety of mediums for exhibition at the Collide Event: Graphic Design Posters, Fanzines, Book, Magazine, E-zine, Manifesto, Marketing Strategy, Direct Mail, Advertising Campaign, Advertisements, Copy, Photography, Social Media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, You Tube, Vimeo, Vine, etc…). 3D artefacts, installations, events and experiences.
{Happiness}
is a mental or emotional state of well-being defined by positive or pleasant emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy. A variety of biological, psychological, religious and philosophical approaches have striven to define happiness and identify its sources. Various research groups, including positive psychology, are employing the scientific method to research questions about what “happiness� is, and how it might be attained.
Is a fuzzy concept and can mean many different things to many people. Part of the challenge of a science of happiness is to identify different concepts of happiness, and where applicable, split them into their components. Related concepts are well-being, quality of life and flourishing. At least one author defines happiness as contentment. Some commentators focus on the difference between the hedonistic tradition of seeking pleasant and avoiding unpleasant experiences, and the eudaimonic tradition of living life in a full and deeply satisfying way.
{Happiness}
20 facts about happiness • The weather can influence happy feelings. • Happiness has a fragrance. (Researchers at the University of Florida found that the flower’s smell has a positive influence on your emotions.) • Music can elevate your happiness. • Happiness grows when you’re older. • Giving to others can give you a happiness boost. • Joy is contagious. • Getting a little nostalgic can help you look on the bright side. • Happy people prefer deeper conversations. • Quick thinking is associated with positive feelings. • Job satisfaction can impact your happiness. • There are approximately 18 different types of smiles. • Certain foods can make you happier. (Foods like nuts, chicken and milk all contain higher levels of tryptophan, which can lead to the production of serotonin, a chemical that helps induce calm and happiness.) • The happiest country is in Europe. (Danmark) • Practicing gratitude can help you lead a happier life. • Pets make you happier. • People are happier in the mornings. • Exercise can make you a more exuberant person. • Your happiness minimally depends on external circumstances like owning a house or a car. • Experiences are worth more than possessions. • We shouldn’t constantly try to pursue happiness. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/20/facts-about-happiness_n_4980223.html
The Happy Show Sagmeister, who has documented his struggles with alcohol and drugs, weight gain, and depression, first conceptualized The Happy Show in an attempt to define and control his own happiness during a client-free sabbatical—a year-long break he takes every seven years to creatively recharge. The final display is the result of 10 years of research into his own personal happiness. Confronted with stories about wellness, mindfulness, and sexuality, viewers will be immersed in an experience akin to walking into Sagmeister’s mind. The Happy Show is comprised of an array of engaging infographics, video projections, and interactive installations, including a stationary bike that powers a wall of neon, a giant inflatable monkey, and a series of gumball machines that displays visitors’ collective level of happiness. Audiences will also enjoy a preview of Sagmeister’s soon-tobe-released documentary, The Happy Film, which depicts his attempts to increase his happiness through meditation, cognitive therapy, and mood-altering pharmaceuticals.
Inspired by Stefan Sagmeister’s Happy Show
I decided to make questionnaire to find out what makes people happiest. I asked students to answer this question quickly in 1 or 2 words. Results shows that: friends; music; flowers; movies; wine; chocolate; good grades; car; achievements; nice weather; pickles; snow; basketball; sleep; kittens; sun; weddings; holidays; meditation; knowledge; shopping; gaming; surprises; sport; healthy food; beard; job; parties; progress; sex; new experiences; luxury; art; coffee; travelling; presents; Apple products; dating; League of Legends; fragnance; relatinonship... makes people happy.
Counting questionnaire results - Picking the most popular ones - Illustrating them! According to my questionnaire the most popular results were - nice weather, coffee and music. The most interesting answer were pickles. I decided to illustrate these 4 things who makes people happier. I took my camera, I made small composition and took pictures. First photo represents - nice sunny weather/holidays Second - pickles Third - coffee Fourth - music After that I started editing these pictures, added a comment and made small postcards.
I did more research and found some interesting pictures with a clock, which is in tyre, and music player. Inspired by them I made a post card “Enjoy your happy hour“. Many people like fun fare and attractions, therefore big cycle represents attractions and arrows inside - time when you are enjoying your time during a ride. Picture on right is associated with style and beards. One of the questionnaire answers was “Alex beard“. I made illustration about it. Red sign with scissors shows, that Alex is happy about his beard and he is not going to shave it.
I started thinking about my FUTURE. I started from mindmap, which shows how many questions are in my head, and how many different answers it could be. Where will I live? What job will I have? Will I be happy?
I started doing research about artists, who are making self portraits. One of them is Vivian Maier.
Vivian Maier 04 AUGUST - 05 SEPTEMBER 2015 Vivian Maier was a professional nanny who, unbeknownst to those that knew her, used her spare time to scour the streets of Chicago and New York, using her trusty Rolleiflex, to shoot up to a whole roll of film each day. Unknown in her lifetime, she left an outstanding body of work composed of more than 100,000 negatives and undeveloped roll films. Her recent ascent from recluse to revered artist is phenomenal, and has become one of the most remarkable stories in the history of photography. Her photographs show her exceptional eye for detail and flair for composition. They are witty and intelligent, and charged with a strong sense of empathy. She took photographs of the downtrodden as well as the well-heeled, of youth and of age. Maier was endlessly inspired by the lives around her. If it had not been for a chance discovery at a Chicago auction in 2007, the world would still be unaware of her vast oeuvre and undeniable talent. Maier held the accumulation of her passion for photography in storage lockers, as she had no permanent home of her own. Undeveloped film, negatives and prints from her storage locker were auctioned off when Maier fell on hard times later in her life. John Maloof, an amateur historian, bid blind on a box packed with negatives taken from Maier’s locker. What he found inside would change his life, and the history of photography, forever. Beetles+Huxley are delighted to present an exhibition of exquisitely hand printed photographs, made from the artist’s original negatives. The show will span some of Maier’s most fascinating photographs, many never seen in London before. The exhibition will showcase her street photography alongside her ingenious and intricately staged self-portraits. Maier died aged 83, before her work was publicly recognised or any of her prints exhibited. Her works are now receiving the international critical acclaim that they deserve. Widely celebrated, her works have been exhibited in New York, Los Angeles, Paris, Moscow, Munich and London. Maier herself is also the subject of two hugely successful and award winning documentary films. Her name now stands alongside those of the other great photographers of the twentieth-century, including Brassai, Walker Evans, and Henri Cartier-Bresson. http://www.beetlesandhuxley.com/exhibitions/vivian-maier-2015.html
I decided to make self portrait and add wrinkles to see how will I look in 20 years. My Photoshop skills wasn’t that good, so I had to watch more tutorials to find out how to make realistic wrinkles, shadows, to change hair/ eyebrows colour, how to make eyes look tired, and to reduce lips. I enjoyed it a lot! It was funny to play with my picture and see how would I look older.
I asked my friend to help me with my project and we did Photo shoot in studio. I had different outfits: casual, smart, night out, elegant and posh. I don’t know what will I be in future, so all there outfits represents different personality and achievements. Casual - not many achievements, working for minimum wage, enjoying small things in life. Smart - working in big advertising/business company, working hard, taking over leadership roles, confident. Night out - friendly, chatty, flirty, irresponsible. Haven’t achieved a lot, because of parties and alcohol problems. Elegant - working in the good company, taking care about appearance, going to yoga and being positive about life. Posh - successful at work and making loads of money. Living in San Francisco and enjoying spending money.
Every life style has different look! I chose the best pictures from photo shoot and edited them. First one - party girl - I added many wrinkles, because of smoking and unhealthy life style, shadows around eyes. This picture shows how will I look in 10 years if I will live irresponsible life with many bad habbits. Second - workoholic - I lightened eyebrows, added smiling wrinkles around eyes, and stress wrinkles on the forehead. If I will take leadership roles at work it will cause me loads of stress. But apart of that I will be happy and enjoying life! Third - healthy and active - this picture shows how will I look in 10 years if I will stay active, take care of my appearance, living without stress and doing meditation. I added small wrinkles on forehead and changed hair colour to dark brown (healthy hair). Fourth - rich - I made this portrait without any wrinkles, because of plastic surgery, I whitened my teeth and changed hair colour to bright red.
More self portrait research...
I tried to combined typography with my photographs. Instead of putting wrinkles on my face I exopressed it with words and typed them on face. After that I did more reasearch and I found one artist who is doing collages young + old. It was very interesting for me because its very good way to show contrast how people change during the life.
Bobby Neel Adams. Much of the photographic work of New York- based artist Bobby Neel Adams addresses “the transformation of the human body by aging and circumstance. “In the late 1980s, Adams began to use a photo montage technique he termed “photo-surgery“, which involves manual cutting, collage, and the occasional defacing of the subject portrayed; to this day he creates his projects on film and does not use digital photo processing software. Adams has exhibited internationally and been the recipient of numerous grants. His works are in the collections of the International Center for Photography, the Houston Museum of Fine Arts, and the USB Collection, to name a few. The Age of Collage. Contemporary Collage in Modern Art
Inspired by Bobby Neel Adams I made collage with my photo.
Back to happiness!
I was looking at positive quotes, which makes you smile. I picked the best ones and illustrated them. I decided to make a small book which would keep you positive with inspirational quotes. I made sketches for illustrations and made better version of them with illustrator. Also I chose font, which looks good and which you can easily read.
Happiness is your choice - small book with positive quotes. “Positive thinking is the way to happiness. In this book you will find optimistic quotes which will make you smile“
I was happy with my little happiness book, but books with inspirational quotes already exist and I wanted to make stronger outcome for collide project. I started look at philosophers and psychologists articles and find out more information about happiness, positive thinking. Does same things make people happy? Why some people are happy for ice cream and others never seem happy about anything? Is it attitude or some people are not meant to be happy?
I made research about A. Maslow pyramid of needs, Hungarian psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, which is one of the founders of positive psychology and psychologist Martin Seligman who talks about momentary pleasures and PERMA.
Abraham Maslow “The story of the human race is the story of men and women selling themselves short.” ~ Abraham Maslow The modern era gave birth to a new field of research, the study of human behavior or psychology. Engrossed in the study of pathology, mainstream, psychologists such as Freud and Skinner did not give as much thought to the sources of happiness as to the roots of unhappiness. One of the earliest psychologists to focus attention on happy individuals and their psychological trajectory was Abraham Maslow, who is most well known for his “hierarchy of needs.” Inspired by the work of the humanistic psychologist Erich Fromm, Maslow insists that the urge for self-actualization is deeply entrenched in the human psyche, but only surfaces once the more basic needs are fulfilled. Once the powerful needs for food, security, love and self-esteem are satisfied, a deep desire for creative expression and self-actualization rises to the surface. Through his “hierarchy of needs,” Maslow succeeds in combining the insights of earlier psychologists such as Freud and Skinner, who focus on the more basic human instincts, and the more upbeat work of Jung and Fromm, who insist that the desire for happiness is equally worthy of attention. Abraham Maslow essentially made self-fulfillment and happiness a central part of his life’s work. In a break from the other experts of his time, he wanted to understand what motivated the great people of history and to understand human potential; he wanted to know what humans are capable of as their healthiest self. The more we learn about man’s natural tendencies, the easier it will be to tell him how to be good, how to be happy, how to be fruitful, how to respect himself, how to love, how to fulfill his highest potentialities … The thing to do seems to be to find out what one is really like inside; deep down, as a member of the human species and as a particular individual (Maslow, 1987, p. 6).
One of Maslow’s lasting and most significant contributions to psychology is what he calls the “hierarchy of needs.” In his quest to understand human motivation and the pursuit of happiness, he formulated a list of basic human needs that had to be fulfilled for maximum psychological health. Through his interviews and studies, he came to categorize a hierarchical list of needs that need be fulfilled for increasing life satisfaction
Physiological Needs The Physiological Needs such as breathing, food, drink, sleep, sex, excretion are largely (and obviously) biological and physical requirements. When they are not fulfilled, people become preoccupied with filling those needs above all else. For example, starving people in a war zone can be oblivious to danger when in search of food (Maslow, 1987, pp. 15-17). Safety needs Once the basic needs are fulfilled, other needs invariably arise (Maslow, 1987, pp. 17-18). In Maslow’s hierarchy, the safety needs come after the physiological needs. Maslow used the word “safety” to mean more than just physical safety. Economic, social, vocational, psychological security all fall underneath this second tier of human needs. While safety needs are less immediate or demanding than the physiological needs, when one loses one’s job, family, home, life savings, health insurance, etc, one is likely to feel terribly insecure and unprotected. Fulfilling the safety needs might be likened to providing a bumper or airbags on a car; while you don’t always need them, having them gives you some confidence that you can face minor bumps and bruises along the road of life (Maslow, 1987, pp. 18-20). Belongingness and love needs As social beings, family, friendships and intimate connections get many people through the ups and downs of life. Numerous studies have shown that the healthiest, happiest people tend to be more involved in their communities. While there is debate on whether one causes the other is unclear, there is some sense that having wider social connections and relationships are an important part of being happy. Lack of interactions, human relationships and the sense of belonging may result in depression or loneliness while an abundance of love and community often sustain people through difficult times (Maslow, 1987, pp. 20-21). Esteem needs Maslow felt there was a clear distinction between love and respect or esteem. He felt that an ability to feel self-esteem and personal uniqueness sprung from being loved and embraced by families and communities. As individuals, we naturally wish to excel or be exceptional, to be noticed for our unique talents and capabilities. Once one has some measure of self-esteem and confidence, one gains the psychological freedom to be creative and to grow as well as to be more generous to others (Maslow, 1987, pp. 21-22).
SELF-ACTUALIZATION The top ‘pier’ of Maslow’s hierarchy is dubbed “self-actualization.” Maslow studied happy people in order to determine what it was that made them happy or, self-actualized (Maslow, 1987, p. 22). Maslow refers to peak experiences as the experience of happiness. He notes above that self-actualized people tend to experience a steadier, grounded sense of well-being and satisfaction with life. According to Maslow, self-actualizing people perceive reality accurately; they have a sense of awe, wonder and gratitude about life. They are not self-centered but rather problem-centered and focus on how to improve and are not deficiency-centered. They are independent thinkers and are not overly influenced by the general culture. Their sense of humor is not sarcastic or hurtful but rather “life-affirming” with a philosophical sense of humor. They have a deeply felt sense of kinship with the human race. GROWTH MOTIVATIONS AND DEFICIENCY MOTIVATIONS Growth takes place when the next step forward is subjectively more delightful, more joyous, more intrinsically satisfying than the previous gratification which we have become familiar and even bored (Maslow, 1999, p. 53). In his hierarchy of needs, Maslow called the bottom four levels “deficiency needs.” He claims that the lower needs, such as the need for food, safety, love and esteem are needs that humans cannot do without. A deficiency in any of these interferes with one’s psychological health and so one might react defensively, or at times, irrationally, from a place of weakness rather than strength. And so, consciously or unconsciously, one works to fill these needs – literally or symbolically. But it is important to note that Maslow viewed these as “needs” and necessities. On the other hand, healthy people who have fulfilled these lower needs are able to act based on the desire to grow rather than being motivated by deficiencies. Simply put, their deficiencies do not determine their actions and instead, they are motivated by growth and fulfillment! It is from a position of psychological well-being that one is able to pursue what Maslow perceived as the universal human tendency to strive for growth, autonomy, identity and the excellence of self-actualization (Maslow, 1987, pp. 117-118). A FEW NOTES ABOUT THE HIERARCHY Maslow used the term ‘hierarchy’ because, like a pyramid, the higher levels of needs rest upon the foundation of the lower level needs. Though pyramid shapes are frequently used to visually represent Maslow’s hierarchy of needs it may be more accurate to think of the needs as sitting not firmly atop the lower level of needs but nested inside the previous level. This suggests a much more organic, integrated relationship between each of the different stages. It is important to note that Maslow saw the hierarchy as a general description of a person’s general needs. He points out that the levels are not fixed and that each need does not necessarily need to be fulfilled 100% in order for one to move on to the next level or for someone to feel the pull from the next level of needs. We can be struggling to fulfill our basic physical needs (food, drink, sleep, etc) but still feel a need to pursue stability in our homes and receive love and esteem within our communities. For some, love needs may come after esteem needs, but both are necessary in different ways and degrees (Maslow, 1987, pp. 57-59).
PEAK EXPERIENCES
Maslow described peak experience as a “tremendous intensification of any of the experiences in which there is loss of self or transcendence of [self]” (Maslow, 1970, Motivation and Personality, p. 165). It is a rapturous emotional experience and similar to what religious people might call an ecstatic “mystical experience” where the divisions cease to exist (for example, the division between the head and the heart). Maslow found these peak experiences to be rare and difficult to describe. Their most important contribution is their ability to promote growth and cause one to change in a profound way (Maslow, 1987, p. 138). Maslow notes that feelings of intense happiness associated with peak experiences would always be fleeting. In fact, he discouraged people from expecting peak experiences to be anything other than temporary. He seemed to feel that it was only when people accepted this that they were free to settle into personal well-being and happiness. He found that not all self-actualizing people had peak experiences, but noted a higher degree of satisfaction for those who did experience them versus those who did not (Maslow, 1987, p. xxii). MENTAL ILLNESS Maslow viewed psychological illnesses as “fallings away from full humanness, from the blooming of human nature” (Maslow, 1973, The Farther Reaches of Human Nature, p. 31) and not as a physical or strictly biological affliction. He suggested, for instance, that neuroses were “related to spiritual disorders, to loss of meaning, to doubts about the goals of life, to grief and anger over a lost love, to seeing life in a different way, to loss of courage or of hope, to despair over the future, to dislike for oneself, to recognition that one’s life is being wasted, or that there is no possibility of joy or love, etc.” (Maslow, 1973, The Farther Reaches of Human Nature, p. 31). Though he acknowledged the possibility that psychological disorders may have some physical or biological factors, Maslow saw social, educational, political, familial, etc. factors as playing a far greater role. This view allows Maslow to be optimistic about reversing pathologies and neuroses. In fact, he sees neuroses as preferable to apathy because unlike those who have given up hope, the neurotic person manifests a timid, ineffectual “striving towards full humanness”. He is especially hopeful about being able to restore children back to psychological health by applying his principles of the hierarchy of needs. Simply put, if a child is lacking love, he/she should surrounded by love. If another is lacking self-confidence, he/she should be shown respect, etc. The point is, for Maslow, psychological illness does not have to happen and if it does, there are ways to reverse its effects or, at the very least, to improve the situation. Retrieved from : http://www.pursuit-of-happiness.org/history-of-happiness/abraham-maslow/
I summarized A. Maslow theory to the mindmap.
Mihaly Csikszentmihaly happiness theory
One of the pioneers of the research on flow is Hungarian psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, also one of the founders of positive psychology. Csikszentmihalyi began his research on flow by studying artists and creative types (Csikszentmihalyi, 1975). He noted that the act of creating seemed at times more important than the finished work itself and he was fascinated by what he called the “flow” state, in which the person is completely immersed in an activity with intense focus and creative engagement. He set his life’s work to scientifically identify the different elements involved in achieving such a state. Csikszentmihalyi’s work has identified six factors of flow: Intense and focused concentration on the present moment Merging of action and awareness A loss of reflective self-consciousness A sense of personal control or agency over the situation or activity A distortion of temporal experience Experience of the activity as intrinsicallyrewarding, also referred to asautotelic experience http://www.pursuit-of-happiness.org/science-of-happiness/getting-in-the-flow/
Psychologist Martin Seligman asserts that happiness is not solely derived from external, momentary pleasures,[14] and provides the acronym PERMA to summarize Positive Psychology’s correlational findings: humans seem happiest when they have Pleasure (tasty food, warm baths, etc.), Engagement (or flow, the absorption of an enjoyed yet challenging activity), Relationships (social ties have turned out to be extremely reliable indicator of happiness), Meaning (a perceived quest or belonging to something bigger), and Accomplishments (having realized tangible goals).
After this research I realised why people are happy for different reasons. It depends where do you stand in A.Maslow pyramid and what are your needs. Person who is starving won’t be able to think what is his life goals, he will think just about food, and that will make him happy. According to PERMA people are also happy for pleasures (warm bath, massage), however it is short-term happiness. I decided to make 4 types of people who are happy for different reasons. I made a list of things who makes happy “party animals“, workoholics, active/healthy life living people and rich class.
I decided to make Elixir of Life drink for each type. I had to think about which glass would fit each category. I chose fancy cocktail for party people, glass of wine for workoholics, glass of water for healthy ones and martini for rich. You can see my sketches and development. First of all I made different drinks, I chose suitable ones and added text, which represents each of them.
After that I continued my development on Adobe Illustrator. I made a shape, changed a strokes and added text to it. I also chose the font, which looks the best in context.
Adding colour and and final outcome of cocktails
You can see my edited pictures, which shows the result of Elixir of life. 1-Yolo cocktail result 2- Workoholic elixir result 3- Vitality elixir result 4- Luxe elixir result
I liked the idea of Elixir of Life, but I wasn’t happy enough with cocktails. I could use them to make a menu, but I wanted to make a product, which people could buy in the shop. I started thinking about packaging design and elixir ingredients. If you want to choose the best drink for you, which would make you happier, you should read what ingriedients are suitable for you and reflects the most your personality. Elixir of life will help you to concentrate on your individual goals and will warn you about side effects.
This was my first attempt of making design of logo for bottle. It was not successful and I didn’t like it. I didn’t know how to start, what colour to use for background. Therefore I made more research about bottle design I picked the bottles I liked.
Inspired by Requila beer design I made 33 different patterns which I will use for my bottle design.
Patterns are ready! On the next page you can see how my patterns worked on my package.
Design looks a bit better than the first attempt, however I was still not happy about bottle design. I think I used too many details, it looks cheap and you can’t even see the Elixir of Life logo. I made more research in bottle packaging , where design doesn’t look too crowded and more elegant.
I decided to use circle for my logo. I wanted to use my patterns, which I already created so they nicely fit to my circle. I chose futuristic typeface for my names of drinks. They look clear and readable from the distance. Elixir of Life is in black background, as well as half of circle - this way you can see better contrast and balance. You can see my 6 designs. I am happy about most of them, but I am not sure yet, which one I will use for my Elixir.
I chose to use basil drink as my Elixir of life. This drink has many different tastes and colours, also basil seeds looks mysterious and it can represent each of my ingredients. In following page you can see my final design for Elixir of Life. I chose pattern which looks like basil seeds. I also edited names of drinks and I wanted them to be no longer than 4 letters.
CHOOSING COLOUR I picked pink colour for YOLO drink. For me this colour is associated with teenage girls and parties. I chose blue for WORK, because it reminds me smart suits for work. Yellow for VITA ,because it is colour of sun and is associated with energy and summer time when people are most active.
Small warning notes
I found some nice fabrics, which I will use for my final design, so I changed logos colours to match the fabric. I changed colour of VITA to green, because healthy people eat loads of vegetables and use eco products. I picked white colour for LUXE, because it is diamonds colour.
Considering which bottle to use for my elixir. I tried different size beer bottles, however I didn’t like brown glass. I want to use transparent glass, so you could see basil seed drink.
FINAL OUTCOME
Project and development by Agne Baksyte The University of Huddersfield Student ID : U1363657